Most nuclide identification algorithms either use peak extraction and an expert tree system or full template matching techniques. Peak extraction with an expert tree works reasonably well with high energy resolution detectors or scintillators (HPGe), but is less effective on low to mid energy resolution scintillators. Template matching makes better use of the information available, but requires solving a potentially massive optimization problem. As a result, all template matching algorithms depend on heuristics to reduce the required computation. These heuristics have the significant downside that they can miss the optimal solution entirely. In addition, mixtures of radio-nuclides have notoriously been difficult to identify with conventional techniques due to several factors, including the limitations on including mixtures in spectrum libraries and misidentification of mixtures.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to the field of radio-nuclide identification to be able to identify mixtures of radio-nuclides with low to mid energy resolution detectors, such as scintillators, that are capable of avoiding the problems associated with conventional techniques.